Apparatus for improving marksmanship



Jan. 12, 1960 R. T. WALKER APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING MARKSMANSHIP Filed 001:. 25, 1956 FIG.

INVENTOR Roberf T. Walker BY w ATTORNEY 2,920,893 I APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING 'MARKSMANSHIP Robert T. Walker, Springfield, Va. Application October 25, 1956, Serial No; 618,317

4 Claims. or. 273-101) The present invention relates to the art of rifle marksmanship and more particularly to apparatus for and a method of aidingindividuals engaged in this art, either in practice or in competitive rifle matches. 7 i i In competitive shooting, targets are posted, and the nfiemen then take their positions ,on the firing line and fire a specified number of rounds into each bulls-eye of the targets. Standard targets for smallbore competition have ten or eleven bulls-eyes,' and ;each rifleman is normally required to place one or more shots in eachbullseye. Placing more or less than'the required number of shots. in a bulls-eye brings a penalty.

Competitive shooting requires that the riflemen fire from four different positions of the body, namely, prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing. While a spotting telescope is frequently used in matches, the scope is usually convenient to use in the prone position only. Without the use of a scope, the bullet holes in a target are too small to be seen by the human eye at any range of 50 feet or more. As a result, in firing from such ranges, a rifleman must at all times keep in mind which bulls-eyes he has fired at in order to avoid excessive or insuflicient shots at a particular bulls-eye and the consequent penalty. Many matches have been lost because a rifleman forgot which bulls-eyes he had fired at.

The present invention overcomes these deficiencies heretofore present in rifle matches and in rifle practice as well. The invention provides apparatus and a method whereby an accurate account of the number of shots fired at the target bulls-eyes is continuously maintained. Prior to the invention this has been extremely diflicult to achieve.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide apparatus for and a method of aiding riflemen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unique indicating cartridge block.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus including a unique relationship of target, cartridges, and cartridge block.

These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred form of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing illustrating this form and wherein:

Figure 1 is perspective view of the novel cartridge block of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1 in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a detail of a portion of the cartridge block; and

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the method of the invention and the combination of the components of the invention.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates the provision of a unique cartridge block in conjunction with a target, cartridges to be fired at the target, and a rifle for firing the cartridges. There is a novel relationship between the construction of the cartridge block and the form of the target at which the cartridges held in the blo'cl: are to be fired so that a record of the bulls-eyes fired at is maintained constantly.

Referring to the drawing, the cartridge block of the invention, generally designated 10,-comprises,'in its preferred form, a'base portion 12 anda face portion 14. The base portion may be formed of wood, plastic, or other suitable material and may be supported on a plurality of small feet 16formed of rubber or the like. The face portion may be constituted by a sheet of transparent plastic material, suchas Lucite, and may be attached to the base portion as by a plurality of wood screws 18.

On one side of the cartridge block, preferably between the base portion 12 and the transparent face portion 14, are located a plurality of bulls-eyes 20 (see Fig. 3). The bulls-eyes may be formed of separate sheet mate rial 'adhesively attached to the cartridge block or may be directly printed or painted on the cartridge block. Through each of the bulls-eyes is formed at least one hole 22 which passes into the material of the cartridge block. The holes may be drilled'or molded in the block. In the form shown, each bulls-eye has five holes associated with it, but as will be apparent hereinafter, different numbers of holes may be employed. Each hole is arranged and dimensioned so as to receive a cartridge 24 therein and hold the same in an upright position with a portion of the cartridge exposed above the cartridge block so that the cartridges may be grasped and removed from the block.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be observed that the cartridge block 10, in use, is placed beside a rifleman 26 who fires his rifle 28 at a distant target 30. The target displays a plurality of bulls-eyes 32, and it is important to note that the spacial arrangement of the bulls-eyes 32 of the target 30 is identical to the spacial arrangement of the bulls-eyes 20 of the cartridge block 10. Standard targets are produced in several different bulls-eye patterns, and in the preferred form of the invention, a different cartridge block will be employed for each of the pattern types.

In practicing the invention, the rifleman selects the cartridge block having a bulls-eye pattern corresponding exactly to the bulls-eye pattern of the target in use. He then places the required number of cartridges in the holes at each of the cartridge block bulls-eyes corresponding to the target bulls-eyes at which rounds of ammunition are to be fired. In most cases, a single round is inserted in each of the bulls-eyes of the cartridge block, but where more than one round is to be fired at particular target bulls-eyes, the number of rounds placed in the corresponding cartridge block bulls-eyes is increased accordingly. When the cartridge block has been filled to the extent desired, the rifleman is ready to begin firing. In a rifle match, at the command commence firing (or in rifle practice, at will) the rifleman proceeds to take a round from a bull's-eye of the cartridge block, places the same in the chamber of his rifle, and fires at the corresponding bulls-eye of the target. The cartridges are removed from the block and fired individually, and the rifleman at any moment can glance at his cartridge block and determine which bulls-eyes have been fired at, from the number of cartridges left in the corresponding bullseyes of the cartridge block. If the cartridges are removed from the cartridge block bulls-eyes in sequence, there can be no possibility of accidentally firing at the wrong bulls-eye.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes in this embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. ment is to be taken as illustrative, rather than restrictive Patented Jan. 12, 1960- Accordingly, the foregoing embodiof the invention, andthose. modifications which come 1. In. combin'ationima marksmanship range a; target, 5

located on said range at a; target area, ,sa;i targe t haying a pluralityof bulls-eyes delineated thereon; and'arranged so as to forma. predetermined pattern; saidv range having an area spaced from saidtarget area and constituting a shooting position, a. projectile. holding; block adjacent said shooting. position and having aplurality ofi'separate zones delineated on one side of said3block'and located in correspondencezwith said target bulLs-eyes to form a pat: tern substantially the same: as the pattern ofsaid target, each. of said zones being adapted to receive and hold. in position to be. graspednby the user of; the. range; a; projectile, to. be. projected; at. the corresponding target b ul 1s eye, whereby; the: projectiles remaining at the zones will indicate. the target bulls-eyes at which projectiles are. to be projected; 1 w

'21 In combination ina marksmanship. range, a target located on said range at a targetarea, said target having a plurality of bulls-eyes delineated; thereon and arranged so as to form a predetermined pattern, said range having an area spaced from said target area and constituting a shooting position, a cartridge holding blockadjacent said shooting position and havingla plurality of; separate. zones delineated on one side of said block and located in correspondence with said target bulls-eyes; to form a. pattern substantially the same as thepattern of said target, said block having at least at hole in its surface at each of said o said. hQlQibfiiQEFlWW 9 Ieceive and hold in position to be grasped by the user of the range a cartridge to be fired at the corresponding target bulls-eye, whereby the cartridges remaining at the zones will indicate the target bulls-eyes at which rounds are to be fired.

3. A rifle marksmanship aid device comprising a block, a plurality of simulated bullfs-eyes spaced on one side of said block, said block having a plurality of holes in its urfac a ach o k a -bu l y achaid; q ssb in dimensioned to receive therein and hold upright a cartridge with a portion of-thecartridge extending above said i .tvhe eby:v he ar rid e ma be s n moved from saidbloclc, eachof said bullfs-eyes having an area much greater than thecross sectional area of each of said holes and being formed to contrast with the remainder of said block side.

4. The device of claim 3,. said block having a base P i n and a. a na wt a e Pa op s d: blvck e e being ar n db t een s d P t o Ret'erenc es Cited in thefileot this patent; UNITED. STATES; PATENTS 1,303,494 Nichols May13,191'9 2,587,921 Suite Mar. 4, 1952 I FOREIGNPATENIS' 45 1112. Caged? -.-..-'-.-.-.--1-.-.--.-- 8 .4 

